# Do cigars ever bother your throat?



## 92hatchattack

Pretty simple question. Do you ever wake up in the morning with an irritated throat and the coughs after smoking a cigar the previous night?

I have found that often when i smoke more than one in a day, i wake up coughing with a tickle in my throat. Even worse than that seems to be waking up after smoking a really nasty stick. I had my first(and last) Gurkha last weekend and it was terrible. Now i dont have a very acomplished pallate, but i can tell the difference between pepper/spice, and the sensation of smoking acid. It was very bitter and harsh. The next morning i woke up with a wicked cough.

Does this ever happen to anyone else, and any clue to why?


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## jeepthing

I have had it happen after areally strong cigar


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## Shaz

Not really.
I'll wake up with that "who crapped in my mouth" sensation occasionally. Often I'll have a very dry mouth and throat, but morning coffee cures that.


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## kenelbow

I used to get the itchy throat problem, but not so much anymore. I do however get the craptastic taste in my mouth the next morning when I've smoked a particularly nasty cigar.


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## Cigary

A good belt of whiskey, Drambuie and other malts will keep that feeling away from bothering your throat. Why do you think that "hot toddies" were invented? There are some cigars that can be really strong and I usually keep the back part of my tongue against my throat just so that it doesn't get irritated by it. A good drink will cover that portion of your throat...almost like milk is used when you eat hot peppers or something and want to cool off your mouth. I drink Amarula for that reason as well...it makes for a nice coating in your mouth and when you swallow it your throat is essentially protected from all of that scorching smoke.


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## Deemancpa

Could be the sticks.....happens when I smoke a full bodied stick. I drink plenty of water and use mouth wash. D-


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## EricF

jeepthing said:


> I have had it happen after areally strong cigar


Same thing happens to me. I thought it was me getting acustomed to stronger cigars now that my taste went from mild to full bodied.


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## MidwestCigarSummit

I went to the Dominican last year as a guest of Gene Arganese...I smoked 45 cigars over 4 days...my throat hurt for a week!


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## ke4mcl

had it happen when i smoke a candela. smoked a cheap candela yesterday and it wasnt as bad as the real ass kicking candela's from little havanna.


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## fuente~fuente

Only happens after I smoke several in a row... Or one dog rocket.uke:


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## 92hatchattack

So, does noone think that this may have long term health concerns?


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## mikesimjr

kenelbow said:


> I used to get the itchy throat problem, but not so much anymore. I do however get the craptastic taste in my mouth the next morning when I've smoked a particularly nasty cigar.


"Craptastic taste", that has to be the best description of the next morning taste that I have heard! If I see that in a catalog somewhere I will be sure to aviod that cigar. Thanks for coining a new cigar term...

Mike


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## Suzza

Just drink plently of fluids while smoking and you should be fine.


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## tpharkman

If you snore as well as smoke you will always have throat issues from smoking. If you have allergies they may also be part of the reason for this displeasure.

I smoked so many cigars during one evening in Vegas that it felt like I had burnt the entire top of my mouth and back part of my throat. It took awhile but it went away.

This might be blasphemous but slow down on your smokes and maybe even smoke less until you recover fully and then get back at it.

Camel ass is the left over deposit I dread the most on the occasional mornings that it shows up.


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## Sirhuffsalot

You describe it as bitter and harsh.

I suspect you may have been smoking a over humidified cigar, as thats the general taste you get with one.

If it was significantly OH, it can produce steam, which *will* burn your throat.

This is something I learned early on. Now I wait for my cigars that are obviously over humied to come down in RH, especially if its a rare occasion BM purchase. Brick and mortar cigars can be extremely wet.

It will heal, 

Cheers,
Randall

PS there are many Gurks I will smoke, very few I wont.


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## Dog Rockets

92hatchattack said:


> So, does noone think that this may have long term health concerns?


Well, there might already be long term health concerns associated with smoking cigars to begin with... I accept those as part of the hobby and, unless you inhale the smoke, throat irritation probably isn't a sign of increased risk.

I usually get a sore throat after smoking a crappy stick, too many in one day or smoking cigars several days in a row (I usually only have 1 - 2 a week during the summer months). I also snore and have horrible allergies, so that could be part of the problem as well. I find that Mucinex is God's gift to cigar smokers when this problem arises and strongly suggest you give it a try.

As for the crap taste, as noted by many above I usually get this after smoking a less than excellent stick. Could be impurities in the cigar due to subpar tobacco or fermentation processes?


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## Kook

On a related note I'm having some issues when first lighting some of my cigars. Its like a blast of spice on the back of my throat that takes a about 1/3 of the cigar to get rid of. I'm assuming its too much butane when lighting, but it doesn't happen to every stick. 

Are some sticks more prone to this? Any tips on how to avoid this?


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## johnmoss

I was in Treasure Island, Florida in May and picked up a few cigars at a local shop. House brand..
Two of them were great, one was so bad I got a sore throat and upset stomach. I think it was just to young. It smelled like ammonia, was way too wet, and tasted like grass. I only smoked about 1/3 of it, but it left my throat hurting for days.


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## Cigary

Kook said:


> On a related note I'm having some issues when first lighting some of my cigars. Its like a blast of spice on the back of my throat that takes a about 1/3 of the cigar to get rid of. I'm assuming its too much butane when lighting, but it doesn't happen to every stick.
> 
> Are some sticks more prone to this? Any tips on how to avoid this?


Lighting ones cigar is an important aspect to enjoying it. Light it wrong and you reap what you sow. While Butane isnt a bad source for lighting your cigar it's the manner in which the cigar is lit. A torch heats up very quickly and the temp is such that when it's burning tobacco and you start drawing in all of that "hot smoke" it can bring about that sensation you are talking about. I started using a soft flame some time back because I could tell a different taste going on...torches were literally burning the tobacco so hot it affects the taste of the cigar...you bring in hot tobacco smoke thru the whole cigar and you will taste it. I let the soft flame heat up the foot until you can see a blue flame at the end...I dont let the flame touch the foot but rather let the flame cook the end. Yes, it takes longer and usually for me it takes about 2-3 minutes to get the end of the cigar cherry red. I will blow on the end to keep the cherry red foot glowing and then...yes, then I will make the cut on the cigar. The first few draws are perfect...the smoke is not hot and you can start enjoying the cigar right from the start. For me, I won't light my cigars the way I used to and that was just torching the end and drawing smoke. If we're going to pay $5 and up for a cigar why not make it taste the way it was meant to be?


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## RealtorFrank

If I smoke more than one right after the other, I typically wind up with a sore throat later that night.


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## Kook

Cigary said:


> Lighting ones cigar is an important aspect to enjoying it. Light it wrong and you reap what you sow. While Butane isnt a bad source for lighting your cigar it's the manner in which the cigar is lit. A torch heats up very quickly and the temp is such that when it's burning tobacco and you start drawing in all of that "hot smoke" it can bring about that sensation you are talking about. I started using a soft flame some time back because I could tell a different taste going on...torches were literally burning the tobacco so hot it affects the taste of the cigar...you bring in hot tobacco smoke thru the whole cigar and you will taste it. I let the soft flame heat up the foot until you can see a blue flame at the end...I dont let the flame touch the foot but rather let the flame cook the end. Yes, it takes longer and usually for me it takes about 2-3 minutes to get the end of the cigar cherry red. I will blow on the end to keep the cherry red foot glowing and then...yes, then I will make the cut on the cigar. The first few draws are perfect...the smoke is not hot and you can start enjoying the cigar right from the start. For me, I won't light my cigars the way I used to and that was just torching the end and drawing smoke. If we're going to pay $5 and up for a cigar why not make it taste the way it was meant to be?


As always, you're a wealth of information.

Thanks


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## Frinkiac7

They bother me when I still try and smoke while sick or suffering from some allergic malady. Obstinately, I always try to smoke anyway. It usually ends badly.


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## KetherInMalkuth

I've never gotten a sore throat from a series of cigars, though the most I've smoked back to back was 3, a PAM 64, LFD Double Press, and HdM Epi #2. I have however, gotten a sore throat a number of times from really sick sticks, or those that have a really strong black pepper flavor that's rough on the throat, though I mostly avoid those sticks completely now. I don't know if the ammonia effects others as it does me, but I can always tell after I've smoked one that needed more rest.


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## ckay

92hatchattack said:


> So, does noone think that this may have long term health concerns?


Uhh...you're smoking a cigar :banghead:


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## papabear

Kook said:


> On a related note I'm having some issues when first lighting some of my cigars. Its like a blast of spice on the back of my throat that takes a about 1/3 of the cigar to get rid of. I'm assuming its too much butane when lighting, but it doesn't happen to every stick.
> 
> Are some sticks more prone to this? Any tips on how to avoid this?


I light mine similarly to Gary's method, but I do use a torch. I also do cut first. I hold the cigar out of the flame letting just the heat off the flame light the tobacco. When the end is nice and red, I blow gently on the end a few times, and then pull a few very gentle puffs. If I have a missed spot or two at this point, I'll touch it up, again with only the heat off the flame or the very tip of the flame touching the cigar.


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